Category Archives: History

History

Milford, 1908

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The Milford Post Office and Store, 1909. Courtesy of Betty Barry Deal

In 1908, G. Yoell Parkhurst compiled a Lassen County booklet as part of Sunset Magazine’s Homesteader’s Bureau operation. Parkhurst made the following observation about Milford:

“Milford is quaint little village a few miles from the west shore of Honey Lake, and is the post office for some fine orchard and farm lands. The best way to show what may be done here is to tell about James Doyle, one of Lassen County’s oldest and prosperous citizens. He came to California in the early sixties [1860s] by way of the plain route. Arriving in Lassen County in the vicinity of Milford, he saw the possibilities in the land around him, so went no farther, taking up a section of land plowing the soil. Altogether he accumulated a mile and a quarter square of land between Honey Lake and the mountains, all of it being overgrown with sagebrush. This was nearly sixty years ago and today he is one of the wealthiest men in the County, made so by the power of his own energy exerted upon fertile land.

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History

Old Time Power Saws

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An electric saw powered by a D-2 cat. Courtesy of Fruit Growers Supply Company

In the twentieth century one aspect of logging that was slow to modernize was timber falling. In the mid-1930s, Fruit Growers experimented with a Dow Low Stump Power Saw. It turned out to be too bulky and cumbersome and the fallers returned to falling timber manually. In 1943, Fruit Growers experimented with an electric saw power by a generator attached to a D-2 Caterpillar. To provide for mobility it was equipped with 400 feet of cable.  One of the drawbacks was it took three men to operate it one to operate the tractor and two to run the saw. It was not until the 1950s when a more advance line of lightweight saws were introduced that the traditional hand saws and axes were replaced by the power saw.

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History

The west end of Main Street

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The west end of Susanville’s Main Street

This just an interesting photograph to share, taken in early 1923.  Believe it or not all the structures still exist. On the left are the two Hunsinger houses. The corner house was moved to Janesville Grade. The dark color structure is still there at 504 Main Street, but in an altered state, as a second floor would be added. The retaining wall in front of the current Elk’s building was removed in 1966. On the right, which is hard to see is the A.J. Mathews residence, that is now at 1415 North Street.

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History

The Gables

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The Gables

Guess what folks, there are a lot of things that I do not know. Every day is a new learning experience, or at least it should be. Now, with that aside, I know absolutely nothing about the former establishment known as The Gables, located near Johnstonville. It should noted, Johnstonville Road, was Highway 36 at the same time.  The property recently sold and there is a sign in the window, CM Cottages. Anyhow, if someone can enlighten me about when it was built or the some of the owners that would be appreciated.

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History

Malgin’s Sheep Camp

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Malgin’s cabin in 1887. Sifford Collection

It amazes me at times, how early some remote places were settled. Take for instance the Drakesbad Guest Ranch in Lassen Volcanic National Park. In 1874, a sheepman, Thomas Malgin located there to establish a summer camp. The following year, by taking advantage of Hot Springs Creekm he built a bathhouse.  While it was rather primitive, it was available free to the public. When time permitted Malgin provided guide service to nearby points of interest. In 1880, Malgin abandoned the property.  In 1885, E.R. Drake took possession of Malgin’s claim.  Drake was not aware, that back property taxes were due and in 1887 Quincy resident F.B. Whiting bought the eighty acres there in a delinquent tax sale for $8.11.  The following year, Drake purchased it from Whiting for $50 and the foundation was in place for the development of the property.

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History

Lassen County Dairy History

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1909 advertisement

The dairy industry played an important role in the region’s history. After all, before grocery stores and transportation, one needed to be self sufficient. In the late 1800s, butter was a major product.  For example, A.L. Tunison who resided in Willow Creek Valley wrote in his diary: October 21, 1880 – Started for Oroville with 3200# of butter.

Virginia City, Nevada during its boom times was another big market. It was not until the late 1890s, that saw the development of creameries. Then by the early 1920s, with a huge population increase in Lassen County caused the establishment of the large lumber mills, saw the establishment of numerous dairies to produce milk. In future posts I will be exploring the history of those dairies. Of course, if you happen to have knowledge of any of these, I would like to hear from you, as very little has been documented on this topic.

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History

Little Valley, Lassen County

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The Round Barn, Little Valley, Lassen County, prior to it being moved to Fall River Mills. Courtesy of Tom Glunt

Little Valley tucked away in the northwest section of Lassen County was first settled in 1870.  In 1916, R.L. “Bob” Johnson constructed the area’s most notable landmark, referred to as the “Round Barn.” Johnson needed a structure where he could train horses during the winter months, as they were in great demand in World War I. Over the years, the elements, etc., took a toll on the building. By 2004, the Fort Crook Historical Society had started a movement to relocate the barn to their museum complex at Fall River Mills.  It was a slow process, but they succeeded, and is now restored to its glory.

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History

Where are we – Cone Lake

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June 27, 2018

Cone Lake is situated in far western Lassen County, next to the Caribou Wilderness. In 1850, Joseph Spencer Cone (1822-1894), a native of Ohio, came to California, arriving in Tehama County in 1857. Originally, Cone was a cattle rancher who sold beef to the Nome Lacke Indian Reservation. When that enterprise failed, Cone turned to raising sheep and continued with that endeavor for the remainder of his life.  In the early 1870s, Cone, like of many Tehama outfits, incorporated western Lassen County for grazing stock during the summer.  It took nine days for the Cone outfit to herd some 20,000 head of sheep from Paynes Creek, Tehama County to Harvey Valley, Lassen County.  At the time of his death, Cone owned nearly 100,000 acres of land—4,636 of these acres were located in Lassen County. The Lassen County property remained in family ownership until November 10, 1934, when Marie Cone sold to the Lyon Cattle Company.  Marie Cone had disposed of some parcels earlier to the Red River Lumber Company. One of Cone’s legacies was his impact on the geographical names of western Lassen County.  Cone’s many sheep herders filed rights to strategic springs and grazing lands—Logan Mountain, Pat Morris Spring, Norvell Flat and Puls Camp, to name a few.

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History

Lake Lahontan Levels

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Susanville’s Antler’s Club, later Elk’s, 1923

Back in April, quite a few readers responded about items they wanted to learn more about. One topic was Lake Lahontan.  Now, you are probably wondering why today’s featured photograph has anything to do with an ancient inland sea. Some 10,000 years ago, the lake was at its peak, then slowly began to recede leaving such remnant lakes as Honey and Pyramid. Had Susanville’s Elk Lodge existed back then, it would have been lakefront property.

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